The field of the invention is lighting for motion pictures.
Production of motion pictures requires various lighting conditions and effects. Motion picture filming may take place indoors or outdoors, with various natural or background lighting conditions. Under many conditions, additional lighting is required. Various lighting equipment has been made and used to meet these requirements, such as conventional motion picture or theatrical lighting fixtures, screens, reflectors, gels, snoots, etc. While existing lighting equipment has generally met the needs of the motion picture industry, the large amount of lighting equipment needed and used has several disadvantages. For example, when filming on location, all of the lighting equipment must be packed, transported, unpacked, and set up. Accordingly, the need for different pieces of lighting equipment may at times be met only with significant time and effort by lighting technicians. U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,828 to Buckley, discloses a motion picture lighting fixture and a snoot for use therewith. Significant costs may also be involved in the manufacture, storage, transportation, and use of a large number of pieces of lighting equipment, particularly lighting snoots for use in light control. Prior art snoots are generally rigid and metallic in construction and pose safety hazards if accidentally dropped or dislodged during use. Accordingly, there remains a need in the motion picture industry to achieve lighting with light weight collapsible snoots for lighting equipment as well as ease in transportation of the snoots for safe, efficient use in a production environment.
During motion picture filming, it may be necessary to quickly change the lighting conditions. Accordingly, there is a need for motion lighting snoots which can be quickly and easily changed over to provide different lighting effects.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a collapsible snoot for motion picture lighting fixtures.